Electrical connector with sealed contacts



Jan. 18, 1966 R WARWICK ETAL 3,230,495

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH SEALED CONTACTS Filed Feb. 14, 1963 imlllllnmn' I INVENTORS. WALLACE R. WARWICK VIRON E. PAYNE 11/,- 0 BY MM ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,230,495 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH SEALED CONTACTS Wallace R. Warwick, 721 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank,

Calif., and Viron E. Payne, 2824 Thurman Road, Huntsville, Ala.

Filed Feb. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 258,969

6 Claims. (Cl. 339-118) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to a separable electric connector employing a liquid as one of the contacting elements.

In separable electric connectors heretofore devised it has been the usual practice to employ a pair of separable metallic contact elements composed of metal and maintained in mutual physical contact to establish an electrical connection therebetween. Such devices have proved not altogether satisfactory under all conditions of service particularly when the contacts are maintained in mutual contact for a long period of time which in some cases extends over a period of several years, particularly in the case of small multi-conductor connectors such as are employed in electronic circuits subjects to high-frequency current variations. Electrical contact between the elements may be impaired by a high resistance therebetween or actual interruption of the circuit by corrosion of the contacts, bending of at least one of the contact elements, grease, dirt, or other contamination.

The present invention possesses all of the advantages of the prior art devices and none of the foregoing disadvantages. In accordance with the teaching of the present invention this is accomplished by employing a quantity of mercury sealed within a metallic container by a flexible seal of nonconducting material which is punctured by a connecting pin thereby to establish an electrical connection between the pin and the mercury within the cup when the connector element is in the assembled position. The manner in which this is accomplished will become more clearly apparent as the description proceeds.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector in which electrical contact between the elements thereof is substantially unimpaired while the contacts are engaged.

Another of the objects is the provision of a separable electric connector having new and improved means for sealing the contact elements thereof while the elements are in contact.

Other objects, advantages and improvements will be apparent upon consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing of which:

FIG. 1 is a view partially in section of the connector and mounting means therefor according to a preferred form of the invention, and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view partially broken away and partially in section of one of the connectors of FIG. 1 and the mounting means therefor.

Referring now to the drawing on which like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there are shown thereon a plurality of connectors generally indicated by the numeral 10 comprising a pluglike stopper element 11 constructed and arranged to be brought into engagement detachably with a complementary element 12. The stopper 11 is composed of rubber or one of the synthetic varieties thereof suitable for the purpose preferably configurated substantially as shown and provided with a contact pin 13 molded or otherwise secured thereto. The contact pin 13 is provided with an elongated pointed electrode element 15 projecting downwardly through the lower surface of the stopper as viewed in the drawing. The stopper is also provided with an annular lip 16 arranged circumferentially thereabout as shown for retaining the stopper in the assembled position. The pin 13 may be connected to an electric circuit board 17, shown in dashed outline on the FIG. 1 whereby a plurality of the plug-like elements 11 may be simultaneously moved to circuit-closing position with respect to their complementary elements 12 or detached therefrom individually or collectively, as desired, depending on the nature of the joint between pin 13 and circuit board 17.

The element 12 preferably comprises a metallic cup 18 having a quantity of mercury 19 therein sealed by a flexible diaphragm 21 composed of rubber or any of the suitable varieties thereof bonded or otherwise secured to the cup 18 at the upper peripheral portion thereof. The cup is fitted within a strip or plate of insulating material 22 having a plurality of bores 23 formed therein to receive and retain the cup individual thereto. Each of the bores 23 is provided with an annular recess 24 for engagement with an annular lip 25 formed on the bottom of the cup in a manner to prevent movement of the cup within the bore. The material of which the strip or plate 22 is composed, it will be understood, is sufliciently resilient to enable the cup 18 to be assembled therein. The cup is also provided with a downwardly projecting connector pin 26 for establishing an external electrical connection thereto. The strip or plate 22 is also provided with a second annular recess 27 adapted to be engaged by the annular lip 16 of the stopper element 11 when the electrode element 15 has punctured the flexible diaphragm 21 and been moved into engagement with the mercury 19,'as shown on FIG. 2, thereby to retain the connector elements in a circuit-closing condition and to exclude the entrance of moisture or other objectionable foreign material from the space Within the bore 23 intermediate the contact elements comprising the plug-like stopper element 11 and the complementary element 12.

When it is desired to establish an electrical connection between the pin 13 and the connector pin 26, it is merely necessary to press the stopper 11 downwardly, as viewed in the drawing, with suflicient force for the electrode element 15 thereof to puncture the flexible diaphragm 21 and move into contact with the mercury, the connector being maintained in the circuit-closing position by annular lip 11 of the stopper engaging recess 27 of the plate 22. In the event that it should be desired to disconnect the contact elements of the connector, it is merely necessary to lift the stopper 11 from the plate 22 thereby withdrawing electric element 15 from contact with the mercury. As electrode 15 moves away from diaphragm 21 the puncture in the diaphragm caused thereby is automatically sealed by reason of the resilient character of the flexible diaphragm and no loss of mercury results. In the event that the mercury within the cup 18 should become depleted or it is desired to add an additional quantity of mercury to the mercury within the cup, this may be easily achieved by puncturing the diaphragm with a hypodermic needle and forcing the additional mercury into the cup thereby.

While the invention has been described with reference to an example which gives satisfactory results, it is not so limited as various changes and modifications will become apparent to one skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, and it is intended, therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electrical connector comprising a stationary casing having abore therein,

circumferentially disposed about said cup,

and a groove formed in said bore in .a manner to receive said lip and prevent axial movement of the cup within the bore.

3. An electrical connector comprising,

a substantially flat support having a plurality of closely spaced bores'therein,

a plurality of metallic cups respectively disposed in fixed positions Within said bores, each of said cups being filled with mercury,

puncturable diaphragms of insulating material sealing the mercury within the cups,

resilient stoppers for closing one end of said bores 'when inserted therein,

means for retaining the stoppers in a predetermined ,position within saidbores,

and elongated pointed electrodes carried by said stoppers in a manner to puncture the diaphragms and contact said mercury when the stoppers are moved to said predetermined position.

4. An electrical connector according to claim 3 including-means for retaining each of said cups immovably stopper is inserted into said bore, the other end of said pin being exposed for establishing an electrical connection thereto,

and a second pin on said cup for establishing an external electrical connection thereto,

a lip circumferentially disposed of said cup,

a groove formed in said bore in a manner to receive said lip and prevent axial movement of the cup within the bore,

a lip circumferentially disposed about said stopper,

and a second annular groove within said bore for registration with the 'lip on the stopper whereby the stopper is continuously maintained in a predetermined assembled position within the bore With the elongated pointed pin thereof in contact with said mercury.

6. An electrical connector comprising,

a substantially flat support having-a plurality of closely spaced bores therein,

a plurality of metallic cups respectively disposed in fixed positions within said bores, each of said cups being filled with mercury,

puncturable diaphragms of insulating material sealing the mercury within the cups,

resilient stoppers for closing one end of said bores When inserted therein,

means for retaining the stoppers in a predetermined position within said bores,

and elongated pointed electrodes carried by said stoppers in a manner to puncture the diaphragms and contact said mercury when the stoppers are moved to said predetermined position,

means for retaining each of said cups immovably within said its respective bore,

and a circuit board connected to said elongated electrodes in a manner to bring the electrodes into aligned relation with said support in such manner that the stoppers are brought into alignment with their respective bores and the electrodes are caused to puncture their respective diaphragms and contact the mercury sealed thereby when the circuit board has been moved to a predetermined position with respect to said support.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1948 Sundell 339118 X 11/1948 Brown 174l2 10/1958 Chrystie et al. 339118 X 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COMPRISING A STATIONARY CASING HAVING A BORE THEREIN, A METALLIC CUP FITTED COMPLETELY WITHIN THE BORE AND FILLED WITH MERCURY, A FLEXIBLE DIAPHRAGM COMPOSED OF INSULATING MATERIAL SEALING THE MERCURY WITHIN SAID CUP, A STOPPER FOR SAID BORE AND HAVING AN ELONGATED POINTED PIN PROTRUDING THEREFROM IN THE MANNER TO PUNCTURE SAID DIAPHRAGM AND CONTACT THE MERCURY WHEN THE STOPPER IS INSERTED INTO SAID BORE, THE OTHER END OF SAID PIN BEING EXPOSED FOR ESTABLISHING AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION THERETO, AND A SECOND PIN ON SAID CUP FOR ESTABLISHING AN EXTERNAL ELECTRICAL CONNECTION THERETO. 